We welcome you to Mass of this 13th Sunday of Ordinary Time. I am so glad to be here with you here at St Anne. I have really enjoyed coming here and getting to know all of you. Today, in our 1st reading we hear about the holy man Elisha, who took over the mantle of being the main prophet of God from the great prophet Elijah. I love how we hear a story of hospitality, of a husband and wife who not only welcome Elisha into their home in the midst of his travels, but who prepare a room for him in which he can rest. It reminds me of how I used to be welcomed in different ways when I would travel as a missionary in Canada and Ecuador in South America. With this couple being without children, Elisha blessed this couple with a child. The rest of this story, which we do not hear in today’s reading, is a story of death and resurrection. When the boy reaches the age of when he is able to accompany his father in his work in the fields, he takes sick and dies. We can only imagine how devastated and grief-stricken the parents are at the death of their only child. It is quite a challenge to their faith. The mother has faith in Elisha, a holy man of God. She travels to see Elisha on a long journey to try to restore her son to life. She clings to Elisha once she arrives at his location, vowing not to let go until her son is restore to life. I think of Mary, the sorrowful mother, who sees her son die on the cross, who bears that pain in her heart. Elisha responds by restoring her son to new life. Out of darkness, God brings light and life. The mother in this story from 2nd Kings is reflective of the saying we hear in the Gospel today: “Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.”
Indeed, the messages we hear from Jesus in the Gospel today remind me of the wisdom literature we hear in the Old Testament. What these saying in the Gospel tells us is that there is pain and challenge in being a disciples of Christ, is trying to live by the values of our faith. The pain and suffering we go through for our faith are not good in themselves, but they are a consequence of us trying to be faithful in the midst of difficult circumstance and in the face of discouragement. Christ tells us in the Gospel today: “Whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me.”
We have taken up our crosses in different ways these past few months, including the reality of a pandemic that is far from over, including looking at legitimate social issues that we have as a society, but that manifested in not only peaceful protests, but also acts of violence and destruction. It has gotten to the point where we cannot look anything from the media or social media with a message of hatred or judgment or accusation. May we pay for wisdom and courage during this difficult time. Like the brave courageous woman in the Gospel, may we keep the faith and the values of our faith. May we always feel God’s presence with us guiding us on our journey. I want us to pray the words of Thea Bowman today. Thea was a Franciscan sister who originally came from our Diocese. After working for many years up North in the field of education, she came back to our Diocese to work in the office of intercultural diversity. She passed away in 1990 from cancer. She has currently been named as a Servant of God in the process of canonization. These words reflect the spiritual wisdom of Sister Thea and the values by which she lived her faith:
Ever loving God, in your infinite goodness, you inflamed the heart of your servant and religious, Sister Thea Bowman with an ardent love for you and all people. May her prophetic witness continue to inspire us to share the Good News with all, but especially with the poor, oppressed and marginalized. May Sister Thea’s life and legacy compel us to walk together. Gracious God imbue us with the grace and perseverance that you gave your servant, Sister Thea, for in turbulent times of racial injustice, she sought equity, peace, and reconciliation. In times of intolerance and ignorance, she brought wisdom, awareness, unity, and charity. May her light be a beacon of goodness and holiness in our troubled times. We make our prayer through Christ, our Lord. Amen.
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